We would like to thank the local libraries, schools, and universities for recommending students to visit us when doing research on any of our information topics.
Please check back frequently as new topics are added and current topics are updated daily.

The Top Five Morgan Silver Dollars

Why waste everyone's time? Let's skip the appetizers and get
to the meaty stuff right now: The Morgan silver dollars poised to
increase the most in value in the years ahead are the 1895,
1892-CC, 1894, 1878-CC, and the 1883-CC. Pretty bold prediction,
eh? At this point, the reader now has three options: (1) Stop
reading and act upon this information, (2) Stop reading and get
on with life, or (3) Continue on, evaluate the analytical
approach to identify the "Top Five" Morgan dollars, and then
implement a variation of (1) or (2) above. If you've gotten this
far, we encourage you to continue on with option (3).

First, a little background info on the Morgan silver
dollar?

The Morgan silver dollar is today one of the most popular of
all collector coins. First minted in 1878 following the passage
of the Bland-Alison Act, the new dollar was named after its
designer, George T. Morgan. Political pressure by powerful silver
mining companies, in a gambit to stabilize the price of their
commodity at artificially high levels, created the impetus
driving the legislative action. Bland-Alison led to the
overproduction of silver dollars, resulting in millions of these
unused "cartwheels" languishing in bank and Treasury vaults.
Indeed, few coins have ever been released under more dubious
circumstances than Morgan silver dollars. Minting continued until
1904, and then again for one more year in 1921, when the series
finally came to a close.

For decades thereafter, Morgan dollars were largely snubbed by
hobbyists. Many dates, including those in mint state condition,
could be obtained for as little as $1.00. This situation shifted
dramatically in 1962, when the US government began selling
original 1000-piece silver dollar Treasury bags to the public at
face value. Stories of rare dollar finds circulated widely,
touching off a veritable Morgan mania. Within a matter of months,
all but a small fraction of the federally owned coins were
transferred from government vaults to private hands, consequently
expanding the Morgan dollar collector base far beyond anything
seen previously.

Since then, Morgan silver dollars have proudly perched
themselves atop the catbird seat of the numismatic world. Their
physical size, availability, beauty, and historical significance
have consistently attracted herds of new buyers. Numerous
boom-turned-bust cycles have come and gone, sometimes driven by
pure speculative motives, but from a long-term perspective, most
Morgan dollar prices have trended somewhat positive.

Unlike some controversial promoters in the past, I do not
propose purchasing Morgan silver dollars simply as investment
vehicles. However, for collectors hoping to satisfy their
numismatic yearnings AND acquire coins destined to be worth
substantially more in the future, Morgan dollars do present a few
opportunities. As noted above, as a whole, Morgans have gained
moderately in value over the years. The crucial challenge, then,
is to identify which members of this series have enjoyed the best
growth patterns in the past. The underlying logic is clear: coins
that have demonstrated the strongest gains over a long period of
time are the coins best positioned to show similar price
advancements with the continued passage of time.

In order to measure past performance and thus visualize
Morgans most likely headed toward a bullish future, I developed a
systematic approach. First, I researched individual Morgan dollar
retail prices as they existed in 1950, for a broad range of
conditions, and entered this data on a computer spreadsheet.
Moving forward in time, values from the years 1980, 1995, and
2000 were likewise recorded. Finally, estimated selling prices in
2005 were juxtaposed with counterpart data from those earlier
years. Because grading terminology has evolved over the 55 year
period, certain assumptions were made to progressively track
price movements throughout the time spectrum (e.g. an
"Uncirculated" value in 1950 is equivalent to the "MS-60" of
today).

For each date and condition, compounded annual return rates
were computed from 1950 to 2005. [Editorial note: compounded
annual return rate is the accepted yardstick for comparing
investment performance. Of course, coins do not grow at a
guaranteed uniform rate, such as bonds do, but if a coin is
purchased at a certain price, and that price is compared with the
value of the coin at some later date, the compounded annual
return rate can be calculated for the time period in between].
Return rate computations were made from 1980 to 2005, 1995 to
2005, and 2000 to 2005. For each Morgan dollar, the data was
placed in tabular format.

Next, I calculated a "composite" score for each date by
averaging all the compounded return rates computed for that date.
I then ranked all the "composite" scores. The Morgan silver
dollars with the highest scores are as follows:

So, it would appear, based on past performance over a period
of 55 years, the 1895 is the Morgan silver dollar with the best
hope of appreciating significantly in the years ahead, followed
by the 1892-CC, 1894, 1878-CC, and 1883-CC. Not surprisingly,
dollars of the Carson City Mint occupy 13 of the top 16
positions, thanks to persistent collectors scrambling for bona
fide artifacts of the romantic American West. On the opposite end
of the rankings, Morgan silver dollars having the bleakest long
term prospects include the 1898, 1899-O, 1884, and the 1888-O,
followed by the 1897 coming in dead last with a score of
2.66.

Anyone whose dual objective is to acquire Morgan silver
dollars with a bullish future ought to begin looking at the "Top
Five" above. Purchase coins in the best condition you can afford,
but be sure the coins are clean, problem-free, and CERTIFIED by a
reputable grading service. Be prepared to hold for at least five
years. Morgan dollars have skyrocketed in value in the last three
years, so some cooling off may be in order before the next upward
cycle.

If a polling firm were to survey the population of US coin
collectors, it is very possible that Morgan silver dollars would
win the vote as the most appealing coin in American coinage
history. These beautiful coins have been the heartbeat of the
hobby for many years, with no retreat in sight. Ironically, these
same coins spent the better part of a century hidden away in
government vaults, unseen, unwanted, and unloved. My, how times
have changed!

These craft trends are set to be HUGE for 2018Ideal Home2018 will see the rise of new more specialist crafts becoming main stream as the nation gets more adventurous, but what craft trends are falling? Crafting is a great activity to do, especially on rainy days – and it can boost positive mental health ...and more »

Couple hopes to build conference center in SturtevantJournal Times... Kennedy said they are still working on the design, but it is to be a two-story building. An early design submitted to the village showed a 24,400-square-foot structure with a lobby, three conference rooms and spaces for two to four restaurants. But ...

The Forgotten Everyday Origins of 'Craft'The AtlanticPlenty, according to the historian Steven Gelber, whose book Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America chronicles the rise of what he terms “productive leisure.” “Hobbies developed as a category of socially valued leisure activity ... because ...

Darlene May SmithVicksburg PostDarlene was born On May 12, 1934 in Mcouphin County, Illinois, the daughter of Clinton and Verna Rector. Darlene married and moved to Mississippi in 1962. After raising her family, she served as a volunteer at Mercy Hospital and before she retired, she ...

Crafting is my favorite hobbyNewsdayHobbies I enjoy are piano, writing, math, and swimming, but my favorite thing to do is crafts. I like to make miniature places like mini campsites out of paper, glue, string, and mini origami-like cranes and other animals. Crafting is very enjoyable ...

Kids and teens learn positive hobbies to avoid negative influencesUpperMichigansSource.comMARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Marquette County Cares wants to help kids and teens make positive life choices. That's why tonight they held a program at Marquette Alternative High School aimed at providing teens with positive hobbies to avoid stress ...

Google News

Related Hobbies - Crafts articles:Woodworking Tools: Right
Selection And Care Will Save You Money, Part 3
Woodworking: Tools Of The Trade, Part 3 - Tools For
Measuring & Marking. A civilization's maturity and
intelligence is judged, in part, by the diversity and
sophistication of its tools. When it comes to woodworking,
the human race is quite advanced.
Woodworking Tools: Right
Selection And Care Will Save You Money, Part 2
Woodworking: Tools Of The Trade, Part 2 - Tools For
Cutting. A civilization's maturity and intelligence is
judged, in part, by the diversity and sophistication of its
tools. When it comes to woodworking, the human race is
quite advanced.
Embroidery Thread Tips
for Better Machine Embroidery Sewing
I have some tips for you to get better results with using
your embroidery threads in machine embroidery sewing.1.
Making Hemp Jewelry Is
Fun and Easy
Making our ideas come to life and creating them with our
own hands is a great source of satisfaction for many of us.
Handicrafts such as making hemp jewelry have been and
continue to be very popular among both hobbyists and
would-be entrepreneurs alike.
Woodworking Beginners:
Secret Tips To Start Right
Woodworking: Where To Start - Tips From Experienced
Woodworkers. Woodworking encompasses a broad area of skills,
specialties, and applications. Some beginners take on too
much too soon or blow their savings on expensive
woodworking tools and machines that they don't know how to
use and might not ever need.
Create A Gift Basket For
A Cat Lover!
The choice of what gift to give your family and friends can
often be a difficult one. One of the best gifts that you
can give is a themed gift basket.
How to Create a Reverse
Painting on Glass
Introduction: Glass is a non-absorbent painting support
which does not allow paint to easily adhere to it - apart
from through the paint's own drying process. For this reason
the outlines of a subject painted on glass need to be
simplified when applied to an extremely smooth glass
surface.
What is a Battle Ready
Sword?
You'd think that the term "battle ready sword" would be
pretty much self explanatory wouldn't you? Unfortunately,
many of the swords being described as "battle ready" are
anything but. And to quote Adrian Ko from Sword Forum
International, "a lot of these swords I wouldn't want to
take into battle even if they were strapped to a M-16.
The ABCs of
Ceramics
Ceramics can be delicate and decorative or unrefined and
utilitarian. Bone china, porcelain, stoneware and
earthenware - this month we'll review them all.
Beautify Your Stamped
Cards with Creative Coloring
Stamping is one of the most versatile crafts around because
there are so many different options that you can use to
enhance even the most basic stamp. When you look at some
colored stamped images, you may be overwhelmed by how
beautiful they are.
How to Clean Your
Jewelry at Home or Work
It looks like a million dollars but after a couple of
months it doesn't have the same 'Sparkle' or look it once
had (a bit like me really). So what are we to do? The first
thing is to make sure it is SAFE to be cleaned! Naturally,
delicate items should be best left to a professional
Jeweler to clean.
Tech-Savvy Crafters Can
Go Global
The image of a crafter or artisan is often serene, even
pastoral. It's easy to imagine a potter spinning his wheel
in his barn-turned-studio and then selling his wares at the
little farmer's market down the road.
Choosing The Correct
Comic Book Storage Box
Most Comic Book Storage Boxes are super strong and come
with sturdy well-fitting lids and handle holes that can be
left in the closed position for storing or pushed open for
carrying. They are properly sized to hold a comic in a bag
with a backing board.
Genealogy - Why You
Should Get Involved in Your Family History
A few years ago I read a statistic that said that genealogy
was the second largest hobby in the United States - second
only to gardening. It was no surprise to me as I have been
finding and documenting my family tree for almost 30 years.
Antiques From
Europe...Is It Really The Goose That Laid the Golden
Egg?
Many dealers and auctioneers have been bringing container
loads of antiques from Europe for years now. The lure of
getting "fresh to the market" antique furniture and
"smalls" is something that can bring renewed excitement
back into your antique business.
A Few Tips About Comic
Book Bags
We store comics to keep them valuable. Air pollution, ultra
violet light, dirt and oil from fingers as well as rough
handling all contribute to the deterioration of a comic.
Genealogy in Switzerland
- A Longenecker Family Search
I recently visited Langnau, Bern, Switzerland and spent two
days immersed in all things Langenegger. My wife and I
arrived at the Langnau rail station on June 25, 2004,
exhausted from a long flight from San Francisco.
Gift Baskets - Create
Simple Easy Gifts For the Person Who Has
Everything!
Have you ever thought about giving a personalized Gift
Basket?Is it just me or do you also get excited when you
give a gift to your friends and family and you know they
love it!The downside you give a gift and you just know they
hate it! Unfortunately you can't always get it right
because what seems right and the appropriate gift for you
isn't always right and appropriate for the person you are
buying for.Take my mother for instance, if you don't buy
her a gift say for Mothers Day you will be in the bad books
for weeks.
An Introduction to
Lanyards
Lanyards are pieces of rope, wire, or cloth specifically
designed to attach to objects. They are typically used to
secure small items such as a work badge, key,
identification card, eyeglasses, whistle, cell phone,
bottle opener, knife, or compass.
50 Ideas to Get
Organized and Enjoy Your Scrapbooking Hobby
Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby! Besides being relaxing
and fun, it also allows you to be creative and to spend
quality time with your family and friends. Plus, it results
in a storybook of lifelong memories.